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Tim Skubick: Could it be true - a 3rd run for president by Mitt Romney?

Mitt Romney

Mitt Romney has lost twice in his bid for the presidency - first to John McCain for the GOP nomination and then against President Barack Obama. Can he possibly win in a third attempt?
(The Associated Press)

The Romney curse for the White House is 0-for-3 and the question is, does the Mittster want to make it 0-for-4?

In these dog days of summer, if you can call it that, the political media is abuzz with speculation that Michigan’s former native son may run again for president. His daddy, former Gov. George,
tried once and lost, while his son has done it twice and lost, the first time to John McCain and then to President Barack Obama.

The younger Romney is feeding the speculation by upping his visibility on the campaign trail — so far, more than 30 appearances on behalf of other candidates — and everybody knows the reason you campaign for somebody else now is so they can help you when you run later on.

Yet at every turn, Mr. Romney says thanks but no thanks.

January: Mr. Romney says, “I’m not running again.”

February: “I had my turn.”

At one event he actually stood before the audience and made the letter “L” on his forehead with his fingers, which stood for “loser.”

However, in April, CBS sage Bob Schieffer disclosed he has a source who told him, “If Jeb Bush decides not to run, Mitt Romney may actually try it again.”

Well, there you have it. If Chaffetz of Utah says it’s so, it must be so.

Back home in Michigan, the chattering class has tossed in its two cents worth.

Respected GOP consultant Tom Shields reports his first thought when he heard the Romney rumor was, “I think we need to keep looking.”

Which is a polite way of saying it’s not going to be Romney. Mr. Shields confides it’s tough to put the band back together and regain momentum a candidate once had.

Sure. Mr. Romney lost by only 4 percent, but he lost the Electoral College duel by 190 votes, which means it really wasn’t even close.

So what’s driving these Romney rumors?

A quick glance at the roster of would-be GOP candidates might send shivers through the more establishment-minded members of the party.

Over there on the far right is Rand “I’m-just-like-my-old-man” Paul. Further down the bench is Ted “Government Shutdown” Cruz.

Compared to them, even two-time loser Mr. Romney must have the cachet worthy of another peak, some contend.

Baloney, observes David Doyle, the former Michigan GOP chair.

What is driving the Romney story is the guy in the White House. “People are frustrated with
Obama. You hear more and more ‘I wish I had voted for Romney.’”

In other words, a case of buyer’s remorse? “No question about it,” Mr. Doyle concludes.

A recent survey backs that up. Quinnipiac University found 45 percent said the country would be better off with Mr. Romney while 38 percent want to gut it out with President Obama.

Despite that, the dyed-in-the-wool conservative crowd never much liked George’s son in the first place, and they have the same feelings about Jeb Bush.

Mr. Shields thinks the former Florida governor is seriously considering it and would be the automatic front-runner if he got in. But the more the younger Bush squeaks about immigration reform, and standardized school testing, etc., etc, the more the true believers go, not on your life.

Nevertheless Mr. Romney would be fun to have around, given his love and affection for the political press corps.

What’s that you say? That was his daddy and not him?

Sorry.

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